Chroma Paint Talkhttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/
Paint Talk is an attempt to allow a lively and informative discussion on paint. This is especially necessary when new paints and techniques are being explored.
In what follows therefore, I am not seeking to ‘blog you into submission’, but rather to set out some personal views, discoveries and reactions from selected artists and myself, and seek your opinion and feedback. No one person can explore all the possibilities a new paint presents.
Jim Cobb, Owner and Paint maker, Chroma. en-AUkyleleakway@me.com (Nathan Kelly)Tue, 14 Aug 2018 22:10:06 +0000Tue, 14 Aug 2018 22:10:06 +0000eZ Components Feed dev (http://ezcomponents.org/docs/tutorials/Feed)http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specificationThe Joy of Painting (Children's Edition)http://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/the_joy_of_painting_children_s_edition
<p>Happy, tiny cherubs. Lovely, precious, little darlings. Squirming, crying, drooling, non-stop bouncing, running, laughing bundles of energy. All of these descriptions are applicable to children, especially to those between the ages of 10 months and 4 years, and it seems, especially to my children. But it doesn’t mean I can’t paint them, it just means I need to be ready for those rare quiet moments. Personally, I’ve found that after feeding time or when they are engaged in activity are the best times to take photos or do sketches. My goal is not to get the perfect pose, but rather to get the personality, to capture a specific physical feature, or even to document the light and color of a time of day.</p><p>Such was the case with <em>Sunflower (For E)</em>
, a companion piece to <em>Sonshine (For R)</em>
. After lots of photos and sketches, I felt ready to begin. Rather than doing a 7-Layer&nbsp; Flemish technique using <a href="http://atelieracrylic.com/atelier-interactive-acrylic" rel="external">Atelier Interactive</a>, Professional Artists' Acrylics as I did in <em>Sonshine</em>
, I made some modifications to this portrait. I still painted with Atelier Interactive, but I changed my color palette, surface and approach.</p><p>I began by creating a cartoon to scale, and transferred it to my surface (Ampersand Pastel Panel). This surface is fairly absorbent, which aided my goal of a looser piece. I painted value washes using Mars Violet and Titanium White. I paid particular attention to the edges and transitions, in order to achieve the roundness of her face. Because children lack the bone structure of adults, it was important to use my water sprayer when I felt my paint start to tack up to keep blending. In this composition, the child’s hair is a striking feature, and I knew it would require many layers and colors, so I merely blocked in the darkest value. (Fig. 1)</p><p>Once I was happy with this stage, I decided to forgo a traditional dead layer but used a modified impressionist palette of&nbsp; Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Yellow Medium Cadmium Yellow Deep, Jaune Brillant, Transparent Perinone Orange, Napthol Red Light, Quinacridone Magenta, Permanent Alizarine, French Ultramarine Blue, Pthalo Blue (Red Shade) and Dioxizine Purple to block in and develop the shapes more fully.&nbsp; Note that I used the word “shape.”&nbsp; I find it is very important not think in terms of “painting a person” but “painting the shapes/lights/darks.” I personally can get too caught up in details, wrapped up in capturing the likeness Instead, when I think in terms of shapes, shadows and masses (like I do with landscapes or other subject matter) it all comes together for me. A classic example of this approach can be seen in Sargent’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_Singer_Sargent_-_Carnation,_Lily,_Lily,_Rose_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" rel="external"><em>Carnation, Lily. Lily Rose</em>
</a> – one of my all time favorite paintings.</p><p>I used the warmer colors for the light masses, and cooler ones for my dark masses, for my first color pass. Because this painting had lots of sunny yellow tones, using Mars Violet as my underpainting color created complementary color reactions. I used <a href="http://www.chromaonline.com/products/au/atelier_interactive/atelier_mediums/atelier_clear_painting_medium" rel="external">Clear Painting Medium </a>to thin my paint to have just enough transparency in order to let the value layer influence the colors on top and to keep track of the likeness. If I needed to gray a color, I added a bit of its opposite – I rarely use black or dark earth tones. I kept my water sprayer handy and sprayed whenever I was blending and my paint felt tacky. If I didn't want to blend, I withheld moisture, let that section dry, and then painted on top. That's how easy - and versatile -&nbsp; painting with Atelier Interactive is! (Fig 2.)</p><p>I made a few more color passes in order to build up the abstract, tactile side of the painting. I chose paint as my medium because I like the physicality of paint, after all! I let these layers dry overnight and applied glazes next.&nbsp; These were made&nbsp; made with Clear Painting Medium and various mixtures of Transparent Perinone Orange, Permanent Alizarine, Pthalo Blue (Red Shade) and Dioxazine Purple, in order to capture lost shadows. I also incorporated some Tinting White (Pearl Titanium) to tone down some sections. These glazes were applied with my favorite sable glazing brush! I also adjusted some edges to keep a modeled, rounded form on her face. I used Unlocking Formula on her hair, and scratched in some individual strands and texture. (Fig. 3)</p><p>This study shows the power of combining oil-like wet-in-wet blending with traditional acrylic glazing and overpainting techniques when painting with Atelier Interactive. By using a combination of techniques, I created a portrait that captured the freshness, the energy and the joy of the subject.There are many approaches to painting figures and portraits; by not limiting yourself to only a few techniques, staying within the rigid confines of a style or even a given medium, you can explore a wide range of possibilities for artistic expression.</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Michael Fitzgibbon)a6d684905f4ba1500e9f8ba2e8f784c6Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:24:49 +0000Decorative Artist Spotlight: Bobbie Takashimahttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/decorative_artist_spotlight_bobbie_takashima
<p>In the spirit of the fall season, Chroma is shining its spotlight on our “Queen of Halloween,” Jo Sonja artist and teacher Bobbie Takashima.&nbsp; With her colorful, whimsical style, Bobbie is known worldwide for her imaginative designs and enthusiastic, inspiring workshops around the country.</p><p>Bobbie has been an artist all her life, and cannot remember a time when she hasn’t been drawing or painting.&nbsp; She has a fine art background, which she believes helps her folk art style. When asked for her sources of inspiration, Bobbie said, “Life. I draw on all the things around me, and record the histories and events of the day.”</p><p>While the steps creating a lesson are disciplined and rely on a lot of strategies accumulated over 50 years of experience, the painting itself is spontaneous. Bobbie knows there will be happy accidents, a place or two where she goes “off lesson.”&nbsp; She welcomes these situations, and encourages her students to do the same, as they are part of the creative process.&nbsp; “Art is a journey,” she said, “and no one has lived long enough to complete it yet!”</p><p>Bobbie emphasizes the importance of practice. “I never want to stop practicing. I love practicing everyday.&nbsp; I am like a child at play. You have to be willing to do the work, and not expect it (a great project) just to be handed to you.” Her color palette varies per project, and that’s one of the reasons why she uses Chroma's Jo Sonja line.&nbsp; “All the <a href="http://www.chromaonline.com/products/us/chroma_s_jo_sonja_s/colour_range" rel="external">great colors</a> in there – wow!”&nbsp; She does have some favorites that seem to sneak in all the time – Yellow Light, Vermilion, Jaune Brillant, Aqua, Brilliant Green, Amethyst and Dioxazine Purple.&nbsp; She likes to paint with more saturated colors that she can grey down with compliments. Bobbie also relies on a neutral pool of colors including Smoked Pearl, Nimbus Grey and Paynes Grey, to help balance the lights, darks and intensity.</p><p>She says, “Trying Jo Sonja paint for the first time was a turning point in my painting journey. They delighted and inspired me to paint beyond my expectations, to try techniques and styles with passion”. She uses all the <a href="http://www.chromaonline.com/products/us/chroma_s_jo_sonja_s/mediums_grounds" rel="external">Jo Sonja Mediums</a>, like Kleister Medium, Crackle Mediums, and Opal Dust, depending on the technique in the project.&nbsp; According to Bobbie, the secret to success is, “Let the child come out and play.&nbsp; That’s the hardest part. Don’t be afraid. Just let it all hang out, and be brave.&nbsp; Get over what people think.&nbsp; It sounds hokey, but frogs in witches’ costumes?&nbsp; If that’s what you want to paint, paint it! Do it for the passion. . That philosophy has certainly worked, because Bobbie maintains an active painting, travel teaching, and writing schedule.&nbsp; She currently has about 15 deadlines, and typically paints “up until the last minute!”&nbsp; Look for her upcoming classes and projects on her website, <a href="http://www.bobbieartstudio.com" rel="external">www.bobbieartstudio.com</a>.</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Jennifer VonStein)883873e68a15341eabca7cbfeab9f08dTue, 24 Sep 2013 19:21:48 +0000Painting The Contradiction: Judith Peck & David Padwornyhttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/painting_the_contradiction_judith_peck_david_padworny
<p>There’s something about painting the human face. It’s what we show the world, but it’s also where we try to hide our deepest emotions. It’s this inherent contradiction, the real and the pretend, the opened and the closed simultaneously, which makes figurative painting so compelling, and a subject that artists tackle in deeply personal styles.</p><p>Two contemporary Archival Oil artists, Judith Peck and David Padworny, paint these inner contradictions in a psychologically compelling way. While they do paint other subjects, they always return to the face. When asked why, Peck replied simply, “I feel I can say more when I paint the figure.”&nbsp; Padworny’s response was similar, “As I look back over my work, the pieces that really convey emotion for me and feel like accurate representations of what I was trying to convey, are the portraits.”</p><p>When viewing the work, the truth of these statements is apparent. Peck places her subject in a pictorially ambiguous space, as in <em>Night</em>
, making the lone figure the focus of the work. With texture, an old master’s palette, a painterly hand and hauntingly, evocative style, one can sense a narrative, but it is unclear. Likewise, Padworny’s figurative pieces imply narrative, with his expressionist, impasto style and color palette. The psychological intensity of his subject is immediate. As an example, the vitality in <em>Untitled, m674</em>
threatens to explode off the surface.</p><p>Peck likes to begin with a model, but will photograph him/her or create a composite. With countless hours at the easel, it’s more cost effective for her to work from these photos and bring the model in again when she has a more solid idea worked out. She doesn’t do preliminary sketches, finding they lose some of the power when transposed, but prefers to “jump right into the painting” and alter it as she goes along.</p><p>Padworny will use models for quick sketches, but thinks of these as meditations on the larger work. He’d rather paint from blurred or distorted photos to recall the composition and the mood.&nbsp; He also doesn’t do large preliminary work beforehand. “I want to keep that initial inspiration fresh,” he says, “so that when I step up to the easel I am able to maintain the creativity and energy.”</p><p>Both artists paint on canvas, typically toned and textured.&nbsp; Peck mixes on the palette, and utilizes some glazing. Colors echo artist Odd Nerdrum’s palette, with Mars Black, Mars Yellow, Titanium White and Chinese Vermilion, along with some blues and earth tones. Archival colors include Blue Black, French Ultramarine Blue and the occasional Naples Yellow Reddish. Peck declares, “I don’t think I could do without Chroma Incredible Brush Cleaner!”</p><p>Padworny uses 3 yellows, 3 reds, 3 blues, 2 greens, 2 browns and maybe 1 or 2 neutral colors and a black and white, premixed in industrial caulk tubes. He’ll let the colors merge on the canvas, letting the thick impasto paint make its own way.&nbsp; He’s been using Archival Oils and mediums since high school, and his favorite mediums are Smooth Gel, Fat Medium and Classic Medium.</p><p>When asked what tips they would give to someone starting out painting people, their answers compliment one another. Padworny encourages artists “to just roll with it…. don't force a particular outcome, and just allow yourself to be as you are. Things might look crazy and odd, but you might come up with something unique that people identify with. You never really know.”&nbsp; Peck quotes Nerdrum, “First I win the effect. Then I win the likeness, but lose the effect.&nbsp; After a long time I win something I can’t define.&nbsp; I think that is a worthy goal for myself and any artist.”</p><p>Peck’s paintings are currently on display at Gallery 65 in McLean, VA.&nbsp; She is preparing for an October Washington, DC, art fair called <em>(e)merge,&nbsp; </em>
represented by Alida Anderson Art Projects, and a November invitational show, called<em>&nbsp;Interpretive, The Portrait Today</em>
at Galeria Obra in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.&nbsp; In December, her work will be at Aqua in Miami during Art Basel, represented by Mayer Fine Art. Her website is <a href="http://www.judithpeck.net" rel="external">www.judithpeck.net</a>.</p><p>Padworny has been actively showing in the Baltimore, MD region and is preparing for a gallery show in 2014. He is also organizing a group show at a new creative space in Baltimore. His website is <a href="http://www.padworny.com" rel="external">www.padworny.com</a>.&nbsp; He can also be found at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/PADW0RNY" rel="external">www.facebook.com/PADW0RNY </a>or if interested in purchasing a work, please contact David directly at David@Padworny.com.</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Jennifer VonStein)da5cc371a0706b052b57084543577a24Tue, 24 Sep 2013 18:37:27 +0000Love To Look: Kellie Newsomehttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/love_to_look_kellie_newsome
<p>People love to look at other people. And in the case of Kellie Newsome, people are certainly viewing her works, and the subjects stare right back. &quot;I paint people because I like challenging myself.&nbsp; I feel like everyone can connect to portraits and, with the splash of color, they are drawn into the painting,&quot; she says. In her works of scientists, actors, musicians and other celebrities, Kellie has found a way to represent these well-known individuals in a style that bursts with color and pulses with life using Atelier Interactive Artists' Acrylics.</p><p>Kellie constructs her pieces by using a wide range of source material. This allows her to develop an original composition that is not strictly based on a single photo, but instead is an inspired mix of her own making.&nbsp; She prefers a ¾ pose, making the face the largest part of the composition, and the background minimal and contemporary. She selects individuals who are icons and the best in their fields. Instead of sketching or doing studies, Kellie begins by applying paint directly to the canvas. Her surface is usually around 30&quot; x&nbsp; 40&quot; or larger. She doesn't paint on a solid toned ground but one that is filled with different colors. She paints from dark to light, often with a big splash of Pthalo Turquoise to designate the darks. Other typical colors are Cadmium Yellow Light, Cobalt Turquoise Light Hue, Napthol Red Light, Quinacridone Magenta, Permanent Green Light, Dioxazine Purple, Toning Grey Pinkish and Carbon Black. She premixes with primaries on her palette, but mixes on her surface when it's time for more subtle tones and gradations.</p><p>Kellie starts with a standard 5-eyes-wide, 7-eyes-long, proportional approach to the face. &quot;All faces are very similar.&nbsp; When you familiarize yourself with these similarities, it is easy to recognize what is different about your subject.&nbsp; This is important when creating the likeness of the subject.&quot;&nbsp; In fact, when choosing subjects, she goes for those with distinctive features that she can distort, exaggerate and intensify, pushing the paint in a contemporary process.</p><p>One of her favorite Atelier mediums is the Gloss Medium, which she uses throughout the painting's development.&nbsp; This not only works for thinning the viscosity and helping the paint glide on the surface, but gives Atelier Interactive a glossy sheen which helps her judge the tonal differences. She can make corrections as she goes, as opposed to waiting until after the piece is varnished to see areas that may need enhancing.</p><p>&quot;Practice is the best tool in creating portraits and is what's going to help you understand facial proportions,&quot; Kellie tells artists who take her Vibrant Portraits classes offered throughout the southeastern United States.&nbsp; Kellie often uses this analogy, &quot;Painting portraits is like being a weight lifter. One can not wake up one morning and lift 1,000 pounds, but if you practice and nurture the skill, anyone can grow the artistic muscles.&quot; Now that summer has ended, she is taking a break from her heavy workshop schedule to focus on holiday commissions and creating works for an upcoming solo show in March at Malone Gallery in Troy, AL. To view more of Kellie's works and her workshop schedule, visit <a href="http://www.kellienewsome.com" rel="external">www.kellienewsome.com</a>.</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Jennifer VonStein)85df84433ccdd4a72906cf9fdc380704Mon, 23 Sep 2013 16:05:16 +0000 News From the Decorative Arts' Worldhttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/news_from_the_decorative_arts_world
<p>Decorative and Folk Artists recently experienced 6 days of learning and fun at the Creative Painting Convention in Las Vegas, NV, USA.&nbsp; Over 150 events and classes were offered to over 775 attendees.&nbsp; Jo Sonja Jansen, the inspiration behind Chroma’s Jo Sonja Artists’ Colours, taught a wonderful seminar, The Time Keeper’s Garden. This clock featured florals and the bluebird of happiness in bright and sunny colors and was the perfect harbinger of spring and summer!</p><p>While at the show, Jo Sonja told us that she is working on 2 new series of colours.&nbsp; Although details are being kept under wraps while these colours are under development, we can tell you that these new colour collections are meant to inspire the newest decorative painter as well as the seasoned professional artist!</p><p>A recent survey from the <strong><a href="http://www.decorativepainters.org/" rel="external">Society of Decorative Painters</a></strong> revealed that 42% of artists create 16 or more projects in a year.&nbsp; With that in mind, why not take a class to get some fresh ideas and learn about new products? The Society of Decorative Painters 41st International Conference and Expo will be held in Chicago, IL, USA, this year, May 13-18, 2013.</p><p>The National Museum of Decorative Painting in Atlanta GA, USA, recently hosted an online auction. Support this national treasure and check out what items are up for bid at <strong><a href="http://dpmuseum.org/index.html" rel="external">www.dpmuseum.org</a></strong>.</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Jennifer VonStein)d25ee7a8f5aa530d8d38fed0d841cb0aWed, 10 Apr 2013 17:03:55 +0000New Orleans Painters Lory Lockwood and Adrian Deckbarhttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/new_orleans_painters_lory_lockwood_and_adrian_deckbar
<p>When you think of New Orleans, often images of Mardi Gras or even Hurricane Katrina come to mind.&nbsp; However, New Orleans based artists Lory Lockwood and Adrian Deckbar are inspired by other images – engines and motorcycles and primeval nature.&nbsp; Although their subject matter differs, they share an obsession for detail and realism, as well as a love of Atelier Interactive Artists' Acrylics.</p><p>When painting in this style, it is easy to forget the overall visual impact of the painting and simply marvel at the technical acuity.&nbsp; Yet these women are able to go beyond pure photorealism, because they embrace abstraction even in the midst of all the details.</p><p>Lockwood’s recent painting, <em>Hiss....(Cobra)</em>
, is a bold, bright work that features every stainless steel braided line, aluminum valve covers, high rise intakes and fuel injectors of an AC Cobra engine.&nbsp; But despite all the complexity, there is a rhythm, balance and beautiful subtle color sensibility that pulsate.&nbsp; It’s not just a cold, gleaming machine part made of chrome and steel – the painting of the engine glows and throbs with life.</p><p>Deckbar’s paintings also pulse, but with the primordial life force of nature.&nbsp; In paintings such as <em>Immersion</em>
, the painting looks like a photo, but when viewed up close, you see that it’s made up of painterly marks, gestures and shapes.&nbsp; The interplay of light and shadow creates an abstract, shimmering pattern that reveals the power and the dark mystery of life.</p><p>Both women use Atelier Interactive to create their large artworks.&nbsp; For Lockwood, a key reason for choosing this paint is the amount of time she saves over working with oils.&nbsp; If these highly detailed and worked pieces were created with oils, they would need days or weeks to set up before moving onto the next layers.&nbsp; Because of Atelier Interactive’s fast drying nature, as well as the ability to control the drying and blending time as they paint, she is able to paint faster, and complete more paintings quickly..</p><p>Early in her career, Deckbar worked with both acrylics and oils, but preferred the blending of oils. Twenty-five years later, she developed an allergy to the aromatic solvents and needed to change. After an unsatisfying time with different brands of acrylics, she discovered Atelier Interactive.&nbsp; The strength of the pigment and flow of paint hooked her, and eight years later, she still loves painting with it. She paints on large stretched canvas, which she gessoes and sands three times, and then tones with a color. Deckbar projects her photo reference using an old-fashioned slide projector, because digital projectors don’t give her the rich depth of color she craves.</p><p>Lockwood uses water, Atelier Retarder mixed with Atelier Slow Medium, and Unlocking Formula when she works; while Deckbar prefers Atelier Retarder mixed with Atelier Gloss Medium.&nbsp; When asked for a tip for artists first attempting to paint in this style, Deckbar suggests,&nbsp; “If you are confident with your composition, use a brush loaded with color.&nbsp; If you are unsure, paint with thin washes and keep your edges soft.” Lockwood offered some of her favorite colors: Light Red Ochre mixed with Carbon Black; Blue Black; Pacific Black and&nbsp; Purple.</p><p>Beginning June 1, 2013, Lockwood’s paintings will be on view at the <a href="http://www.therymergallery.com/" rel="external">Rymer Gallery</a> in Nashville, TN, USA - visit her website at <a href="http://www.lorylockwood.com/" rel="external">www.lorylockwood.com </a>to view more of her paintings.</p><p>In 2012, Deckbar had a sold-out solo show at <a href="http://www.callancontemporary.com/" rel="external">Callan Contemporary</a> in New Orleans, LA, USA and is busy creating new work for her next solo show at Callan in February 2014 – visit her website at <a href="http://www.adriandeckbar.com/" rel="external">www.adriandeckbar.com</a> to view her paintings.</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Jennifer VonStein)c24172c38dd3c174e2fa77546b79460fMon, 25 Mar 2013 15:48:06 +0000Australian Impressionist Colley Whissonhttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/australian_impressionist_colley_whisson
<p>Australian artist Colley Whisson carries on the Impressionist tradition.&nbsp; His landscapes and interiors are known for their painterly approach with loose, bold brushwork, while still being representational. His books <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Impressionist-Landscapes-Colley-Whisson/dp/1929834101/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1364220162&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Creating+Impressionist+Landscapes+in+Oils" rel="external"><em>Creating Impressionist Landscapes in Oils </em>
</a>and<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Impressionist-Painting-Made-Colley-Whisson/dp/B002FRJ3VS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1364220211&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=Impressionist+Painting+Made+Easy" rel="external"><em>&nbsp;Impressionist Painting Made Easy</em>
</a>, along with articles in <em>International Artist</em>
and <em>Australian Artist</em>
magazines, has increased his global audience. According to Whisson, Impressionism covers such a wide range of styles that it allows him to employ passages of realism or abstraction whenever he feels it's necessary or appropriate.</p><p>Whisson paints with Archival Oils. The consistency of the paint first attracted him, but the strength and quality of the pigments have kept him coming back for more. He prefers to begin with a toned surface, typically mid toned, and places his lightest values next to his darkest values to help these colors pop. He moves onto larger color masses next, with the goal of achieving accurate values and colors in first pass. As he observes paints and refines his painting surface, he gradually adds more and more texture to foreground shapes. Whisson believes that palette preparation and control are essential.&nbsp; “If my discipline isn't 100% when mixing my values, it will show in my painting immediately.”</p><p>His painting<em>, A Time To Relax, QLD,</em>
reveals that Whisson is a master of values. The light key is harmonious, and the reflected light and the color in the darks accurately capture the atmosphere, what Monet called “the envelope of light.”&nbsp; What’s more, this painting shows how Whisson expertly paints the mood – there is quietness in this piece, as if he painted the subject's brief moment of reflection.</p><p>He writes, “Better paintings begin when you are totally captivated by the subject. I have a strong belief that painting is not copying nature but giving expression to visual ideas.” He tends to look for interesting groupings of shadows, and his main focal point contains the lightest and darkest tonal values.&nbsp; When asked how he chooses his subject, he replies, “When I discover the correct ingredients the actual subject matter become secondary, maybe even irrelevant. This then frees me up to paint anything my heart desires.”</p><p>Ultimately, Whisson calls himself, “a humble painter.”&nbsp; He is currently working on paintings for a solo show in Nashville, TN, USA at <a href="http://leiperscreekgallery.com/" rel="external">Leipers Creek Gallery</a>,&nbsp;opening May 18, 2013. He is also teaching in the USA this spring.&nbsp; View more of his works, along with his workshop schedule, at <a href="http://www.colleywhisson.com/" rel="external">www.colleywhisson.com</a></p>kyleleakway@me.com (Jennifer VonStein)e9c57055cecd5fe5ed12a51e3475b2c6Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:26:16 +0000New! Chroma Mural Paint and Mural Paint Markershttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/new_chroma_mural_paint_and_mural_paint_markers
<p class="aleft">Chroma Mural Paint and Mural Paint Markers takes your vision to the next level! With brilliant, lightfast colors inspired&nbsp;by&nbsp;nature and the street, Chroma Mural Paint and Mural Paint Markers lets you make your mark&nbsp; indoors and out. These water-resistant, outdoor&nbsp;paints provide superior coverage and handling, and can be used straight from the bottle for interior and exterior murals. The bright and mixable colors are non-toxic and clean up easily - an added advantage for the artist on the go! Chroma Mural Paint comes in 16 contemporary colors and is available in 16 oz and 1/2 Gallon sizes; Chroma Mural Markers come in 25 expressive colors and are available in 4 oz mohair dabber bottles. Art is made to be seen, and Chroma Mural Paint and Mural Paint Markers will get you noticed.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p class="aleft">To download a Color Chart &amp; Users' Guide, click <a href="http://www.chromaonline.com/media_library/files/chroma_mural_paint_mural_paint_markers_color_chart_users_guide" rel="external">here</a>.</p><p class="aleft">To download product catalog pages, click <a href="http://www.chromaonline.com/media_library/files/chroma_mural_paint_mural_paint_markers_catalog_pages" rel="external">here</a>.</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Jennifer VonStein)55f2fa9c6a0cd72b6537ae5f5870fda4Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:21:08 +0000Rabbits’ Holes...Or Where Paintings Can Take Youhttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/rabbits_holes_or_where_paintings_can_take_you
<p>When I start a painting, I like to have a fairly good idea in my head or see what I am going to paint. I’m not one that can just start painting an empty canvas. (I envy those painters!) My starting vision is just that – a starting place – but sometimes what I imagined at the beginning is radically different from the final results.&nbsp; I’ve discovered that letting go, and being open and present during the process allows me to respond to what is happening.&nbsp; This sometimes takes me down an unexpected path, or in this case, down the proverbial rabbit hole.</p><p class="aleft">My original intent was to make a painting inspired by <em>Alice in Wonderland</em>
.&nbsp; I had wonderful laser prints of the Rabbit, Mad Hatter and Caterpillar, along with some old alphabet text and children’s papers from 1913.&nbsp; I wanted bright, happy colors – think spring flowers and vintage children’s books – but as the piece developed, it clearly had a mind of its own.</p><p class="aleft">I started with Fast Medium/Fixer mixed with Atelier Interactive’s Brilliant Magenta and Titanium White.&nbsp; I applied this mixture&nbsp;with a painting knife on my gessoed canvas for texture.&nbsp; I used Fast Medium because I knew I wanted my background layer to dry quickly, and I wanted a fluid paint for the next few layers.&nbsp; I was thinking about circuses, chessboards and my recent visit to the MacKenzie-Childs store in New York, and that’s how the harlequin/checkerboard pattern started, using Carbon Black, Arylamide Yellow Light, Permanent Green Light and Brilliant Violet.</p><p class="aleft">When I was happy with the background and it was dry, it was time for an image transfer – what to use?&nbsp; I decided on the Rabbit.&nbsp; I applied a layer of Binder Medium, placed my image face down into the wet medium, waited about 15 minutes, and then removed the paper backing.&nbsp; The image transferred ok, but it looked a little distressed, which was not my intent. My vision was a crisp, bright piece, but now it looked worn and a bit shabby.&nbsp; Happily, I had lots of paint and images at my disposal!</p><p class="aleft">I painted over the transfer, adding more color and making the lines sharper. I like to hide messages in my mixed media works, and I found a great phrase,&nbsp; “Seven (some word) Stories.”&nbsp; I collaged this using some Binder Medium, and then, because I didn’t like the second word, I painted over it. I don't even remember what it was now. But&nbsp;if you look closely, just the words “Seven Stories” are visible.</p><p class="aleft">As I was painting, I needed some imagery in the top right quadrant. Color and pattern alone didn't capture enough interest.&nbsp; As I flipped through my vintage papers, I found images of old scissors.&nbsp; Many years ago I saw a phenomenal film called <em>Alice</em>
(the story of Alice in Wonderland, told with stop motion animation, in a surreal, dream-like way).&nbsp; This dark interpretation featured scissors, and I had a “Voila!” moment.&nbsp; I hadn’t thought about this film in years, but when I found those scissors and had the Rabbit right there, it all clicked. (You can read about the film&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_(1988_film)" rel="external">here</a>.) My rabbit was worn and torn, the scissors were the instrument of distress, and now the painting started to come together.</p><p class="aleft">So instead of a bright, happy piece, I went darker, a bit more garish and a bit more nightmarish in a childlike way.&nbsp; I used pure untinted colors that created complimentary reactions with other colors, such as yellows and violets, pinks and greens. I collaged old papers with Binder Medium, and started to cover up some imagery and papers. I turned small scissors into flowers (the garden that Alice finds), and transferred letters of a child’s alphabet (the poetry that is throughout the books), in order to visually connect the Rabbit and scissors.&nbsp; I made glazes with Acrylic Glazing Liquid and Gloss Medium to add depth, and when parts still weren’t glossy enough, I applied Heavy Gel Gloss (Impasto Gel) on just some areas and let that dry. Soon my painting was catching light in cool ways, with parts that were very textural and glossy while others were more satin and flat.&nbsp; I added swirls to represent roots in the hole in the ground, as well as the actual tumble itself.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p class="aleft">My painting is done, at least for now.&nbsp; I am still considering applying a final layer of Heavy Gel Gloss or Chroma’s Gloss Solvent Finishing Varnish over the entire thing, because the shiny parts look so good…but I also like the interplay of the satin and gloss sheens. However, titling the piece was easy – <em><strong>Mad Rabbit</strong></em>
.&nbsp; Not only did my Rabbit look a bit upset, but also the whole painting is visually crazy and has dark imagery that implies madness. The painting certainly named itself.</p><p class="aleft">So the next time you paint, just go with what’s happening and let the work develop the way it wants. You’ll be amazed at what rabbit holes you go down…and trust me, the results are always surprising!</p><p class="aleft">If you want to view a video on Image Transfers, click <a href="http://youtu.be/0HLhIRE1b3Q" title="Image Transfers" rel="external">here</a>.</p><p class="aleft">Some technical notes on Image Transfers:</p><p><strong>Images to use</strong></p><p>Most printed or toner-based images can transfer. Newspaper, magazine and computer laser <strong>(not ink jet)</strong> prints work well. Some things like newspaper, laser print and old catalogs on uncoated paper will transfer directly without the need of a photocopy, but some images such as photographs and coated magazine pages will need to be photocopied. Be sure to use your own work (a great reason to get those drawings photocopied!), or work that is copyright-free.</p><p><strong>Mediums to use</strong></p><p>Most traditional, fast-drying acrylic mediums can be used for transfers. All have slightly different effects, so be sure to experiment!</p>
<ul>
<li>Binder Medium</li>
<li>Matte Medium</li>
<li>Gloss Medium</li>
<li>Regular Gel (Matte or Gloss)</li>
<li>Heavy Gel Matte or Heavy Gel Gloss (Impasto Gel)</li>
<li>Molding Paste (Modelling Compound)</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><em>To apply an image directly to a surface:</em>
</strong></p><p>1. Apply your chosen medium directly to the surface using a brush or palette knife. You do not want the medium to be too thin or too thick, about 1/16-1/8” is good. (The more gel you use, the more opaque the transfer will be.) I find that brushing horizontally and then vertically helps to eliminate brushstrokes.</p><p>2. Closely cut out the image you want to transfer. Remember to flip (make a mirror image) of any text you want to read correctly.</p><p>3. Apply the image face down into the wet medium and smooth it out so you don’t have wrinkles. Turn a corner up, so you have a tag that you can use later to remove the image. If you want a very clean look, be sure to feather the edges of the gel at the edges of the paper.</p><p>4. Let dry. You may need to wait overnight, about 8-24 hours, for heavier mediums like Heavy Gel Gloss (Impasto Gel)&nbsp;or Molding Paste (Modelling Compound). Using a hairdryer to promote fast drying does not produce good results. Only time does. Binder Medium, Regular Gel and Matte/Gloss Medium dry the fastest.</p><p>5. Wet the paper backing. I often apply a wet (not dripping) washcloth and let it sit on the paper for a bit. Remove the cloth, and then very carefully, begin to rub the paper away with your fingers in a circular motion. Apply more water as needed to remove the paper backing. As the water dries, you’ll see a white haze where some of the paper is left behind. Let the transfer dry, and repeat the process until you don’t feel any more paper.</p><p>Note: How long you wait before removing the image, and the image itself, are all factors in the success of the transfer.</p><p><strong><em>To create a separate transferred element to be collaged:</em>
</strong></p><p>1. Apply Heavy Gel Matte or Heavy Gel Gloss (Impasto&nbsp;Gel)&nbsp;directly on top of the printed image using a brush or palette knife as described above. Using this method, you won’t need to reverse any text.</p><p>2. Let dry overnight (about 8-24 hours). The gel will be clear when dry.</p><p>3. Wet the paper backing and remove as described above.</p><p>4. Cut out your image, paint the backside for a vintage look (if desired) and adhere using Regular Gel.</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Jennifer VonStein)b608603733552358579d8b4f7e971251Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:54:46 +0000John Walker- Winter in the Fire Foresthttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/john_walker_winter_in_the_fire_forest
<p>John Walker is one of Australia's foremost landscape painters. His latest body of work was on exhibition at Utopia Gallery, Waterloo,&nbsp; Sydney from late October to mid November.</p><p>In their&nbsp; media release for the show Utopia Gallery has wrote,</p><p>‘<strong>Winter in the Fire Forest</strong> is a body of work that can be tentatively traced to a discovery Walker made whilst painting at the edge of a mountain ash forest near Reidsdale, NSW about six years ago.</p><p>In the mossy quiet, amongst lush ferns, Walker stumbled across the huge, very charred stump of a burnt tree:</p><p><em>It suddenly hit me that I was in this forest and it felt wet and cold and damp, but not that long ago, sometime in the last twenty or thirty of (sic) fifty years, it had been on fire. That sort of sums up certain things about the forests around here…</em>
</p><p>
The paintings, mainly executed this year in Walker’s Braidwood studio, are imbued with a memory of that Riedsdale fire forest, refreshed by walks into the bushland of the local Mt. Gillamatong. These are dreamscapes, misty and filled with potential – not of a particular landscape but rather capturing some essence of the Australian<br />bush.</p><p>In this pursuit, Walker wields the baton once held by the likes of Arthur Streeton, Fred Williams and Sidney Nolan. Streeton’s <em>Fire’s On</em>
holds a particularly important place in Walker’s heart.'</p><p>John R Walker's work is included in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, AGNSW, NGV, AGWA and many other significant public collections.</p><p>To follow up any works from the exhibition or see works by the artist in the stockroom contact:</p><p>
Christopher Hodges <br />
Utopia Art Sydney<br />
2 Danks Street, Waterloo<br />
Ph: 02 9699 2900<br />Email: utopiaartsydney@ozemail.com.au</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Serena da Roza)e0dde546a774c3769c4f906723af4fbbMon, 19 Nov 2012 23:27:18 +0000Art Fusion Productions Step by Step Abstract Arthttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/art_fusion_productions_step_by_step_abstract_art
<p>Sydney Artist Glenn Farquhar has created a series of fantastic painting videos giving tips and whole lesson ideas for anyone: experienced artists can pick up some techniques&nbsp;&nbsp; whilst&nbsp; absolute beginners can start with confidence.&nbsp; Chroma has partnered with Glenn for this latest release and these Dvds will be available from late November through good art stores where you find Atelier Interactive and A2.</p><p>Glenn's company, Art Fusion Productions, has made a number of abstract art lessons in the past.&nbsp; The new series Dvds 7-10 contain 7 lessons, 6 abstract and one figurative, in which Glenn uses Atelier Interactive Artists acrylics and recommends A2 for students and beginners. An in depth article about Glenn's DVD lessons is available on the Chroma Paint Talk page <a href="http://www.chromaonline.com/paint_talk" title="paint Talk" rel="external">http://www.chromaonline.com/paint_talk</a>.</p><p>Look for these titles where you buy your art materials and have fun!!! Information downloads of the lessons are also available on line right now from the Art Fusion Website here <a href="http://www.artfusionproductions.com.au/home" id="here" title="Art Fusion website" rel="external">http://www.artfusionproductions.com.au/home</a>.</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Serena da Roza)ac378e8827898ad8858197ea2c2d3b08Mon, 22 Oct 2012 06:11:06 +0000Step by Step Abstract Art from artist Glenn Farquharhttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/step_by_step_abstract_art_from_artist_glenn_farquhar
<p>Chroma Australia is proud to announce our new association with Sydney Artist, Glenn Farquhar.&nbsp; Chroma Australia is very impressed by Glenn Farquhar’s Step By Step Art DVD Series and highly recommends these instructional DVD’s and 20 download art lessons.&nbsp; Glenn has now produced ten DVD’s with the latest releases being 7, 8, 9 &amp; 10 incorporating Chroma Atelier &amp; A2 artist acrylics and medium. Combined with his own wonderful teaching skills Glenn's lessons are Informative and inspiring,showing you just how easy it is to paint like a professional artist.</p><p>Glenn's great connection with his audience and his genuine down to earth personality make for&nbsp; an&nbsp; easy to follow Step By Step format .&nbsp; He gets feedback from all over the world thanking him for making it so much fun to paint using his DVD’s as a tool to unlock the hidden artist hiding inside them.&nbsp; Glenn makes these DVD’s even more interesting by showing how easy it is to use Chroma paints and mediums,in these fun and informative art DVDs. &nbsp;</p><p>You will be amazed to see how easy it is to use our paints as Glenn shows you how to create the artwork lessons using Atelier Interactive and A2 artist acrylics and mediums.&nbsp; Chroma is now a proud distributor of these ground breaking Art DVD’s and urges anyone who has an interest in painting, whether you are a beginner or experienced artist, to do yourself a favour and seek out these DVD’s at your nearest art store.&nbsp; Chroma Australia distributes to 33 countries around the world, so these DVD’s plus all the Chroma Atelier and A2 products used to create the artworks, are sure to be close at hand.&nbsp; If your art store doesn’t stock the DVD’s and Chroma products, please check our Stockist list or contact us through our website for more information and assistance.</p><p>GLENN HAS WRITTEN ABOUT HIS ART PRACTICE,</p><p>&quot;I must be the luckiest man in the world to be able to paint, and teach people how to enjoy painting, for a living.&nbsp; People come into my studio and say how impressed they are with my artwork and when I tell them that I can teach them to do most of the styles themselves, the reaction is always the same “but I can’t draw a straight line, I don’t have an artistic bone in my body”.&nbsp; I remind them that everyone has a hidden artist inside them waiting to emerge, just like a butterfly!&nbsp; It’s simply a matter of finding it and releasing it with the right tools and instruction.&nbsp; I have never had a failure yet, so I must be doing something right!</p><p>I encourage people to start using larger canvases to get more impact in their piece which, until now, they have been scared to do.&nbsp; Painting a large artwork is no more difficult, in fact it’s sometimes easier, than painting a small artwork.&nbsp; I encourage my students to be bold with colour and to cast off their preconceived ideas of what they can and cannot do with their art.&nbsp; There are no rules, it’s up to you.&nbsp; If everyone in the world liked the same type of artwork the Art Galleries of the world would only exhibit the same pieces.&nbsp; Don’t be intimidated or stunted by the views of others, painting is cathartic and the best stress relief there is, as it encourages relaxation and takes the focus off the daily grind.</p><p>I receive emails every day from people in every corner of the world, thanking me for giving them a new lease on life through their artwork.&nbsp; If you aren’t feeling encouraged yet, just read some of the feedback:</p><p>
“Greetings from the USA! The DVD's were exactly what I expected. I think your presentation was thorough and solid. Although I've been an artist for some time, I've always struggled with producing a good sunset and your technique was very influential in incorporating into my style. I was able to use your sunset technique and apply it to some of my original work.”<br />Joey- USA</p><p>
“The DVD Series was GREAT!!! Really enjoyed how easy it was to follow along.&nbsp; The timing, style, and instructions were fantastic.&nbsp; I have been able to create the artworks personally and am very pleased with them.&nbsp; I am looking forward with great anticipation of the next series of artworks.&nbsp; Any style would be great, I am a big fan of ALL that you do.&nbsp; Keep it coming!!! “<br />John -Indiana USA</p><p>
“I`ve been painting landscapes for over 20 years in oil wet on wet style and got very frustrated and bored with the style. I wanted to break into abstract and had a lot of ideas, but just didn’t know where to start. Sounds stupid, but got into a rut with my art, hence the boredom. I’ve been given a new lease on life, petrol in the engine!&nbsp; Not only can’t I stop painting till early hours, but I’m using acrylic which I swore I never would. Now on my 3rd video which is so easy to do and even opened my small studio again. I just wanted to say thank you for the inspiration to get me going again.” <br />Andrew, Swansea UNITED KINGDOM</p><p>
“Just wanted to drop a quick note and thank you for the wonderful lessons. The way you demonstrate each technique makes it easy to follow and has really inspired me to paint more. I have been selling abstract paintings for a year now and have added lots of ideas and techniques to my arsenal thanks to your videos. Thanks so much for all you have done for casual artists like me.”<br />Brandon- Alabama USA</p><p>
“You have been such an inspiration to me. I was looking for ideas for abstract painting and found you. I have done Blizzard and it came out really well! Believe it or not, I have only been painting for 1 week yet I feel confident enough to decorate my entire home, using your techniques. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge so generously (not many artists would do that), I really appreciate it! Thanks again for being such a great inspiration to help me to enjoy my hobby.”<br />Avev -Istanbul TURKEY</p><p>
“I am filled with wonderment at your beautiful works of art…thank you so much for sharing your wonderful techniques with us. I have enjoyed your DVD’s very much ….they have inspired me no end. I look forward to more DVD’s with great anticipation. Thanks again for sharing your gift. “<br />Frances-&nbsp; Melbourne AUSTRALIA</p><p>
“I have purchased all your DVD’s and found them really easy to follow with amazing results. My 15 year old son recently went on his year 9 trip to Kakadu in the Northern Territory. He was asked to present a personal report on the trip, highlighting what was important to him. The sunset at Kakadu over the waterholes stood out, so he decided that a painting would best express the colour and majesty of the scene rather than words. The only drawback he had was he had never completed a painting before. I referred him to your DVD’s and we decided to combine SUNSET and HORIZON and after two attempts he achieved a remarkable piece that got him a huge round of applause. He explained that the work was 100% his own and that he was taught the method via your art DVD series which allowed him to improvise and make it his own.”<br />&nbsp;Cara -Mt Kuring-gai AUSTRALIA</p><p>
“I enjoyed the videos very much. ....I made my first piece of “art” ever..... I am going to buy more videos, and I hope you extend your lessons, so I can learn more techniques. <br />Marcos- Buenos Aires Argentina&quot;</p><p>Step by Step Abstract Art Dvds will be available before Christmas 2012 from art stores where you buy your Atelier Interactive or A2 paints. They are also available by direct download from Glenn’s website here <a href="http://www.artfusionproductions.com.au/series7-content" title="Art Fusion website" rel="external">http://www.artfusionproductions.com.au/series7-content</a>…. ENJOY!!!</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Jim Cobb)4d9c4f439f67495b4461cd9fcf31f634Mon, 22 Oct 2012 04:30:57 +0000DRAWPj Online drawing competitionhttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/drawpj_online_drawing_competition
<p>
Cindy Wider from Drawjp Art Camp wrote in thanking Chroma for the sponsorship given to their Annual Online <br />
art competition at Drawpj.com that was have announced in August.<br />
You can see the winners at this link&nbsp; <a href="http://drawpj.com/best-major-project-award-drawpj-com-art-competition-2012/" rel="external">http://drawpj.com/best-major-project-award-drawpj-com-art-competition-2012/</a> The Chroma Prize was awarded for the 'Best Major Project Award'.<br />DRaw PJ online drawing course runs competition annually and all their students use Chroma paints in the unit two section of their course.&nbsp; </p><p>
&quot;The competition winning artworks were a combination of some graphite pencil drawings and some chroma&nbsp; paintings. The person who received the Chroma art prize is Angela Deck and she is just about to move into our painting unit so she is really excited to have her paint materials prize. She won the award for her piece titled 'Urban Decor' a graphite pencil drawing. &quot;<br />
&nbsp;Cindy thanked us profusely for the sponsorship.<br />&nbsp;</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Serena Agius)96f2f17ad992e9f7eb3104e7afe4e32cThu, 04 Oct 2012 06:25:56 +0000Heart2Heart Project, Viwa Island , Fijihttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/heart2heart_project_viwa_island_fiji
<p>Chroma supported Heart2Heart project Sydney in helping the school children of Viwa Island, Fiji .This project has donated school supplies such as books and art materials which these Fijian children would otherwise go without.</p><p>The tiny island community of Viwa is approximately 48 nautical miles northwest of Denarau. It is the most western island located at the bottom of the Yasawa Group. Viwa Island has two small village communities and their children attend tiny schools in these two communities.</p><p>The main school on Viwa Island educates 66 primary school student from Kindergarten through to Year 6. On the other side of the island, there is a tiny remote school with 6 kindergarten children only. These isolated schools provide their children with the opportunity to obtain an education whilst living on their unique remote island home, four hours by boat from the mainland.</p><p>Michele Darmanian and her husband, Grant visited Viwa Island for the time in November last year (2011). Independently, they committed to their project to help these children believing it absolutely essential for the them to have access to quality reading books and materials. Theirs was a small idea to help improve the children's education which the islanders would not be able to afford themselves; these resources assist remarkably with English, reading and writing and visual thinking skills which in turn ultimately assist these children to continue in higher education or employment opportunities once they finish their schooling.</p><p>Prior to Christmas 2011 two boxes of books were sent to the school children. The school teachers and students were absolutely delighted to receive the 130 second-hand reading books provided by Heart2Heart. Mr John Borghetti, CEO and Manager Director and Ms Melanie Huxham, Corporate Communications Operations Team, from Virgin Australia respnded to Michele's request in this extraordinary way.</p><p>On the 8 August 2012, the second shipment left Sydney amidst much excitement.All donations, including 32 boxes of paint, each containing 2 litres,as well as brushes , were transported to Viwa Island by Virgin Australia.There were many logistical hoops through which the Darmanians and their precious donated cargo needed to pass on the way to Viwa Island. However all was received after a lengthy journey. As Michele writes,</p><p>&nbsp;“YES, we did it and it would have not been possible if it wasn't for your spirit of generosity with helping us to safely getting everything to Fiji .</p><p>Our words will never express our sincere gratitude for your gesture of goodwill towards to the school children of Viwa Island .”</p><p>
To view more photos,&nbsp;make a donation or read more about the project check out the Facebook page below,<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Donate-A-Book-to-the-School-Children-of-Viwa-Island-Fiji/335561429813270" title="donations" rel="external">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Donate-A-Book-to-the-School-Children-of-Viwa-Island-Fiji/335561429813270</a></p>kyleleakway@me.com (Serena Agius)1f8dcff75a07763da9efdd4f3fd7f0e7Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:22:08 +0000COLOUR MIXING PART 3.http://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/colour_mixing_part_3
<p>COLOUR MIXING PART 3.</p><p>Hopefully those of you who didn't read the last article will make some sense of this, and hopefully those of you who read the last article are still willing to read this one! This sounds very obvious, but it needs to be said. We mentioned in the last article the way I set up my palette, so that my acrylic paints stay usable. It's really important that you are able to keep your paint workable; so that your paint is in good condition when you are about to use it. Hopefully you will have an efficient strategy to keep your paint workable and in good condition from when you last used it. If not, I've designed a great system which works really well; which I'll go into a bit later. For some of you that won't be an issue, as you'll only dish out your paints when you need them. But it is important to make sure your paint is in a “fit state” to mix together. There are few things worse than having chunks of semi dried paint and globs popping up in your lovely smooth sky.</p><p>Whenever I run workshops, one of the first things I do is get the students, advanced or beginners, to do a simple gradation of colour from Pthalo Blue to White, for example. A gradation is simply a smooth blending of colour; in which the transition point between colours should be indiscernible. I have my students do this gradation over small and large areas. This exercise is designed to develop the skills and “touch” needed to pull colours together smoothly and adeptly. It is amazing how many accomplished painters can't do this quickly and effectively. Out in the real world there are very few gradations of colour which are a perfect transition.</p><p>However, mastering the skill is an incredibly valuable exercise. Once my students have developed this skill to a reasonable level, I then introduce other colours. For example Pthalo Blue + Cadmium Yellow Light + White. It is one thing to go from white to blue; it is another thing entirely to shift through three or four shades and hues smoothly.</p><p>Blending Colour:</p><p>It is incredible how painting subtle shifts in hue in skycapes, or the gradation of colour in a figure, becomes so much easier when you can blend colours efficiently.</p><p>Most of us do our “training” on one of our paintings. The pressure's on. That's why it's a great idea to practice some skills on something that means nothing to you. Practice makes perfect. You'll improve much faster, than if you wait for a painting to present you with that opportunity to practice that skill.</p><p>I recommend, whatever your skill level, doing this exercise occasionally prior to starting a painting:</p><p>You will need:</p><p>
• Your large palette<br />
&nbsp;• Your large water pot<br />
&nbsp;• Canvas (or preferred primed surface)<br />
&nbsp;• Your favourite colour (we have used Pthalo blue)<br />&nbsp;• White</p><p>
We want to do a gradation of colour, from a pure version of your favourite colour, to white (no water added). It's a great idea to use the chalk columns on your palette to do this, especially for beginners.<br />&nbsp;</p><p>
Start with your pure colour at the top of the column, adding white as you go down. Apply these increments to your canvas from your pure colour at the top, through to your pure white at the bottom.<br />&nbsp;</p><p>There is a trap here. If you want pure white, you will need pure white! That means your brush will need to be cleaned thoroughly, before you add any white. Any remaining colour in your brush will taint your white.</p><p>
THIS IS IMPORTANT: Most people don't stop to take all of the colour out of their brush at critical times, before adding another pigment. This is why we so often end up with “mud”. When you become confident that your gradation is smooth over a large-ish area, compress it into a small one; then do it over a huge one. Gradations over varying size will test your skill!<br />&nbsp;</p><p>So far I've spoken about blending colour, rather than mixing colour. The two things are closely related however; especially when you set up your palette using the chalk line strategy we mentioned in the last issue. Using this chalk line strategy, will help keep the colours that you mix, clean and uncontaminated. It is also a great visual reference for those who are not comfortable at recreating colours at a whim (I would think most of us). Let's go into this in detail.</p><p>Mixing Colour:</p><p>In this article we will not be focussing on colour theory. All we are interested in, is the actual physical process of mixing colours together; and how best to do this. Let's go back to the gradation exercise to explore this further.</p><p>As I am generally asked about the way I paint water, we are going to use these colours as the foundation for this exercise.</p><p>You will need (note, these are Atelier Interactive colours, you may use a cool blue or cool yellow instead):</p><p>
• Your large palette<br />
&nbsp;• Your large water pot<br />
&nbsp;• Canvas (or preferred primed surface)<br />
&nbsp;• Large paintbrush (size 10 or 12)<br />
&nbsp;• Pthalo Blue<br />
&nbsp;• Cadmium Yellow Light<br />&nbsp;• White</p><p>Grab your very large palette (which is close to your very large and stable water pot), draw some vertical chalk lines, and dish out these three colours, as per photograph.</p><p>
Now with a large-ish paintbrush (size 10 or 12), in the column directly beneath the blue, drop a dollop of blue. STOP. Get another dollop. I'm betting you didn't put enough out! Mix up heaps of paint. Now add some cadmium yellow and some white, and mix the colours together, staying in your blue column.<br />&nbsp;(Turquoise-On-Palette.JPG)</p><p>
For this exercise, I want you to mix the colours completely so that there are no flecks of the pure colour remaining. The colours need to be mixed together completely. When you have a beautiful sea-type turquoise colour, paint it across the top of your canvas.<br />&nbsp;</p><p>If at this point, you are finding that the holes are showing through in your canvas and you are having to “scrub” the paint on, you didn't mix up enough paint! Go to the corner, do some push ups, and come back. Dish up some more paint and mix again.</p><p>
For those of you who are not doing push ups, grab another dollop of Pthalo Blue (much smaller dollop) and a dollop of the Cadmium Yellow Light (more than last time), and add a bit more white. (A bit is a technical term; somewhere between a lot, and not much). This colour should be mixed just below the previous colour. The colour you have created now should appear warmer, and paler. Add it to your canvas, blending back into to the previously applied colour. See photograph.<br />&nbsp;</p><p>The push up crew are back with us now, and won't make that mistake again (will they!!).</p><p><em>&nbsp;<strong>Note</strong> - don't do too many push ups so that you can't pick up your paintbrush.</em>
</p><p>
Continuing down within your chalk lines, repeat the process adding more Cadmium Yellow and more white, so that your colour appears warmer and paler again. Paint this colour as before, blending down into your other colours. Continue adding more white and Cadmium Yellow Light until you reach the bottom of the canvas. You should have a smooth, lovely ocean-like gradation of colour. When you feel comfortable with this, pick a different gradation of colours, say for a sunset, and repeat the process. Remember, these are just exercises. For practical examples on painting gradations, you may like to have a look at our Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/user/ExploreAcrylics. Our website also has lots of tutorials and information you may like to check out, <a href="http://www.explore-acrylic-painting.com" rel="external">www.explore-acrylic-painting.com</a>.<br />&nbsp;</p><p>You may ask yourself what this whole process has to do with mixing colours. The first thing is this - knowing where all of your colour is on your palette, minimises the possibility of your brush touching and collecting a colour you didn't want. We've all been there and done that. The second thing is that by managing your palette in this way, you have a visual history which eliminates confusion and allows easy reference to colours used along the way. The added benefit is that you can often, in the case of products such as oil paints, or the Atelier Interactive range which will stay mobile, go back and use paint without having to remix colours.</p><p>Next article, we'll be looking at mixing colour, when should we add white to a pigment, and when should we add pigment to a white. Until then, chuck some paint around!</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Serena Agius)134c2cd0d15a17c0718aee5026dcd709Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:29:15 +0000Mitchell Winter School- Bathurst, NSW and Cooee Bay Artist’s seminar - Yeppoon, QLD. http://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/mitchell_winter_school_bathurst_nsw_and_cooee_bay_artist_s_seminar_yeppoon_qld
<p>
Bathurst:<br />Around 250 artists gather for this mid winter school in the country town accessibly close to Sydney. The tutors offer their best know how and techniques using paints of every imaginable kind, which allowed me to get fairly clear cut understanding or overview of how serious amateur artists are approaching their art and this is reflected in new simplified information which I have set out covering the use of AI (see attached copy). </p> <p>There is one particular demonstration that I would like to comment on which was carried out by Herman Pikel who is an extremely competent tonal painter and is able to impart his knowledge very effectively to his students. </p> <p>What interested me in particular was that it presented an opportunity to make a very clear demarcation between three different ways of using AI. Number one, the traditional fast drying methods, number 2, the method whereby drying is delayed when the artist feels like slowing down by reintroducing moisture with an atomiser , and number 3, the situation which Herman was using where an artist decides to slow down the entire process by using a slow medium. What I discovered from Herman’s workshop was that one of Chroma’s own mediums packed under the JS label and called JS retarder gel actually works more effectively for slow techniques than our present “thick slow medium” packed under the Atelier label, and so naturally I will be converting the latter to the same formula that is used in the JS medium, but while this is happening and finding its way to the shelf in retail outlets, people in Aus who are interested in following this up could simply buy the JS product and use it the way Herman did. </p> <p>The painting that Herman wanted to end up with had a light yellowish background as a light source against which most of the subject matter in the painting appeared more or less in silhouette but displaying an interesting interplay of tonal relationships which are easily achieved wet in wet but which would be extremely difficult to do in the quick layering techniques that are often used by acrylic artists. This demonstration was so successful that I hope that Herman won’t mind me passing onto ChromaLink readers the information about how he carried it out. Firstly he already had a dry layer of the very light slightly yellowish colour which was to represent the lightest tone. Before he started to paint the tonal elements, he took a large paint brush and quite liberally painted the clear JS medium over the entire surface of the painting he was going to work on. The effect of this is that the medium is so slow drying that it is possible to work on top of it with paint which will stay wet for many hours without having to worry about refreshing it with an atomizer spray etc. and the consistency of the medium is such that it is very friendly towards the painting of gradations which is what his painting really consisted of: many closely related tonal gradations which gave a feeling of depth and complexity to the painting. </p> <p>I think this approach or method would work very well for artists who want to paint directly from life especially for such subjects as portraits or still life painting where it is possible to build up a complete painting in a wet in wet mode as one would do when using oil paint. The down side of using this process is that although you have used acrylic paint, you have in fact slowed it down to such an extent that you can’t expect to be able to over-paint it probably even the following day. The object is to complete the painting in one operation if possible, and if this doesn’t work out then it needs to be put to one side for a couple of days like an oil painting, nevertheless the drying time is much faster than it would have been with oil paint and can be accelerated by placing the painting in direct sunlight or close to a heat source such as a radiator to dry it out faster. I thought this approach to a slow painting technique without having to use a water sprayer was so simple and so effective that I wanted to pass it onto everyone. I am sure you will find Herman’s painting interesting especially from a tonal point of view. </p> <p>Moving on from this very broad based seminar with its 250 artists, I went almost immediately to Yeppoon in central QLD where Bela Ivanyi and Peter Sharpe were carrying out an acrylic seminar with Bela’s group of very experienced acrylic artists. This allowed me to finish the document which I have posted below which is intended to clarify and simplify the many ways in which AI can be used, and because I was attending the seminar I was able to write the copy for this document and pass it back and forth for comment among the people attending the seminar and I hope that having done this I have arrived at a brief and simple description of what one has to think about when doing a painting with AI. When a paint is as versatile as this one, you can’t really expect to have the maximum success and exploit its potential if you are simply working on automatic pilot and not planning what you are doing, so I hope that these short notes will act as a guide to help people to combine more of the new delayed elements that AI is capable of into their painting processes.</p> <p>Please comment on what you having experienced with the wet in wet method using Atelier Interactive, especially if you have been to either of the workshops&amp; seminars I mentioned above.</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Jim Cobb)dc7231e11090f888c6c5c00278eb20b3Thu, 02 Aug 2012 07:01:36 +0000Starlight Foundation Thankyouhttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/starlight_foundation_thankyou
<p>Recently Chroma Sponsored pop-Mart Social painting in Melbourne, see news article from 18 June 2012 on Pop Mart. A Grand Finale Charity Auction was held to round off their activities on June 7th. 200 art works were returned from prior participants to create an art installation that was assembled and an art auction was held to raise money for the Starlight Foundation. </p> <p>Maggie Chan from Pop Mart is a wonderful lady who has energetically donated her time and expertise in hosting Pop Mart events in an entirely voluntary yet professional way, for the last 5 months. Pop Mart rated the event great success on their website with the following; <strong>&quot;To everyone who has contributed and supported our grand finale event (sponsors, volunteers, participants, artists), Pop M'art would like say a massive THANK YOU. Without your contribution and support we would not have been successful.</strong> </p> <p> <strong>We are extremely proud and excited to announce that 139 out of the 200 paintings were sold and we have raised a total of $5,475.14. This includes artwork sales, main auction, macarons' donations, Sapporo beer sales and general donations. The full amount has been donated to Starlight Children's Foundation.&quot;</strong> Click <a href="http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=2af738e507813a1d840cae1e8&amp;id=7d6e944e0f&amp;e=3850ed3caf" rel="external">here</a> to go to the Pop MArt Site. </p> <p>The Starlight foundation also sent us this heartfelt thank you which is posted here in full. Starlight says, &quot; We rely entirely on the generous support of organisations like Chroma and Pop MArt who help us touch the lives of so many special children and their families at this difficult time in their lives.&quot; See image for full text.</p> <p>Chroma is glad to support be able to support the Starlight Foundation as well.</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Serena da Roza)0029fefae13888cd2e36ceeec92af12aThu, 02 Aug 2012 04:42:35 +0000The Landscape paintings of Euan Macleodhttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/the_landscape_paintings_of_euan_macleod
<p>Injecting a unique vision into your artwork is a compelling reason for any artist to keep painting. The drama of landscape can be a seductive subject but how often does this revert to standard horizontal compositions of foreground, mid- ground and distance with atmospheric perspective? While this formula can itself take a while taking to master, it can all too easily leave the viewer feeling lackluster. Learning to translate and refine our vision of landscape, and also master the medium of oil painting, means taking risks, exploring the medium and thrashing out concepts to find compositions that most effectively communicate our ideas. </p> <p>Euan Macleod has developed his relationship with paint and painting for over 40 years. To those that know his work, Macleod’s landscapes are instantly recognisable by their drama and encrusted paint and transforming rivulets. His work has explored the human condition relentlessly in connection to the landscape: landscape motifs become vehicles for the human beings relationships to our selves and each other. </p> <p>In many of Macleod’s works, strong vertical and diagonal accents create spatial divisions within the pictures. Bodies are liberated from their usual intact positions familiar in common perception to appear at multiple scales and disparate divisions. Tenuous relationships between body and landscape often exist in Macleod's work leading to increased tensions and visual interest. Chroma’s Jim Cobb has known Macleod for the last over 20 years and enjoyed responding to challenges he posed to oil paints in his working methods. </p> <p>Macleod uses mostly Archival oil paint because it’s inbuilt flexibility allows great expressive freedom and control the over drying times. Usually his paintings are started with under painting in Jo Sonja Artist Acrylic. Macleod works fast and like his paint very runny, sometimes cut in 50:50. However this is also contrasted with impasto sections built up with Archival Texture Gel or Smooth Gel mediums worked in with the oil paint. Where there is not as much textured surface, Macleod is more often using Archival Odourless Classic for the finishing layers in his paintings.</p> <p>Euan Macleod has maintained a close connection with his homeland over the Tasman since the early 1980s. His latest body of work derives from a trip to New Zealand last February. Much of this work is planned for exhibition at his Sydney dealer, Watters Gallery in Riley Street, Sydney from 8th August to 25th August. Euan Macleod invited me to his studio to collect the images of his latest paintings that you see here. This is just a small sample of what will be on exhibition.</p> <p>To see more of Macleod’s paintings and for further information click this link <a href="http://www.wattersgallery.com/artists/Macleod/macloednew1.html" rel="external">http://www.wattersgallery.com/artists/Macleod/macloednew1.html</a> </p> <p>Acknowledgements for assistance in writing of this article: <em>Euan Macleod; The Painter in the Painting </em>
by Gregory O’brien, Piper press, 2010 and to Euan Macleod for the time spent with him in his studio.</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Serena Agius)9c6fc51903b38db4a39357b01582dbbaThu, 28 Jun 2012 07:54:14 +0000Ali Cockrean, Jubilee Pageant Artist Saves Historic ‘Lost’ Painting with Atelier Interactivehttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/ali_cockrean_jubilee_pageant_artist_saves_historic_lost_painting_with_atelier_interactive
<p>ALI Cockrean, one of just 20 artists exclusively commissioned to paint the Thames Diamond Jubilee River Pageant live on TV, has managed to save her painting of the historic event after it was destroyed by rain.</p> <p>The Buckinghamshire based expressionist painter worked against the clock to have a finished painting of the pageant by the end of BBC1’s live coverage of the event last Sunday – only to have all her efforts washed away by the elements. She says&quot;I hadn’t noticed how heavy the rain was now falling until I returned to my easel. There were rivulets of water creating their own tiny but destructive course through the paint. I saw the images blur and simply wash away.</p> <p>But all was not lost. Ali returned to her Haddenham studio where she spent three days painstakingly working to restore her precious painting.Ali says: “After the pageant I worked on the painting for two or three hours at a time in the warmth of my studio. I took a photo of what it had looked like before the rain and first of all spent time getting it back to that stage. Then I carried on and added the boats and royal barge. I felt it was important to get it technically right.”</p> <p>She says: “Unlike most acrylics which can only be over painted once dry, the advantage of Atelier is that it allows you to unlock dry paint using a special medium. This meant I could reblend and rework part of the original painting rather than starting from scratch.”Ali continues: “I’m very pleased with the result. It is now the image I wanted to create during the event. I’ve even managed to paint the Queen in the scene.”</p> <p>Ali was exclusively commissioned by the BBC to paint the pageant from London’s Millennium Bridge as part of the corporation’s live coverage of the event on Sunday June 3.Ali used Chroma Atelier Interactive Acrylics to create her 20 x 16 ins painting on canvas, and if it wasn’t for this particular paint, and the use of Unlocking Formula, her work could not have been resurrected.</p> <p>I succeeded in preparing my painting for the arrival of the boats, despite the light rain keeping the paint wet longer than I wanted. I simply adapted my technique with the palette knife to ensure I didn’t over blend the colours – Chroma Atelier Interactive Acrylics. I worked with a subtle palette to reflect the soft greys and pinks in the sky, the lightest greens and browns in the water. All was progressing well, I was happy with the direction the painting was going and the mood and atmosphere the piece was taking on.</p> <p>Then the royal barge came into view. The bells of St Paul’s began to chime and she laid down her paint brush. Suddenly the day wasn’t just about capturing an image or being on TV. It was about savouring a truly unique and historically significant moment in time. It was about simply being there. Like millions of people around the banks of the Thames Ali waved and cheered so that in some small way she could demonstrate her appreciation and respect for the Queen. </p> <p>As a professional associate member of the Society for All Artists, Ali beat thousands of other artists from across the UK for the once in a lifetime opportunity to paint her interpretation of what is arguably the greatest spectacle ever seen on the river.</p> <p>A3 [30.5x41cms] size Giclee prints of Ali’s finished work – the first 500 of which will be signed by the artist - are now available costing £75 each plus p&amp;p.To order visit <a href="http://www.alicockrean.co.uk" rel="external">http://www.alicockrean.co.uk</a> </p> <p>or email alicockrean@gmail.com</p> <p>Ali’s Haddenham studio will be open to the public during weekends from June 9 to June 24 as part of Bucks Open Studios.</p> <p>
BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION<br />
Ali was born in 1962 and is a professional expressionist painter. Based in her studio in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, she now exclusively works in acrylic on canvas but has also worked with oils, pastels and charcoal. Ali gave up her career in business and marketing to concentrate on her art full-time in 2006. A member of the prestigious National Acrylic Painters’ Association (NAPA), she studied at the Central St Martins College of Art and Design and Slade School of Fine Art. Her work has appeared in collections throughout Europe, the USA and Canada. Ali also juggles her work with her role as a busy single mum-of-one, tutoring adults and children, giving lectures and writing for national art publications.<br />For further information and ‘before’ and ‘after’ images please contact Ali Cockrean:</p> <p>
T. +44 (0) 1844 299083<br />
M. + 44 (0) 7742 888302<br />
E. alicockrean@gmail.com<br />
W. www.alicockrean.co.uk<br />Twitter@AliCockrean</p>kyleleakway@me.com (Aaron Carney)2a5a12d52755b1a757d17041fabf2cbeThu, 21 Jun 2012 06:53:32 +0000 Less is More: How to Acquire Mastery of Colourhttp://www.chromaonline.com/chroma/paint_talk/less_is_more_how_to_acquire_mastery_of_colour
<p>As an artist, and, indeed, as a lover of art, I spend a lot of time looking round galleries and museums, both physical and virtual.While nothing beats a visit to a major institution like The National Gallery in London or the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, studying the work of master artists on www.googleartproject.com or www.artcyclopedia.com is also a worthwhile exercise. By master artists I mean the Old Masters, the Moderns, and some (but not all!) of the major names working today.</p><p>I also regularly make the rounds of local galleries and art club shows. At the majority of galleries and shows there is generally a high standard of draftsmanship, composition, and artistic imagination on display. In these and other areas of art there is less of a gap between master artists and many contemporary professional artists and talented amateurs than one might think. To my mind, the most noticeable difference between master artists and the majority of contemporary professional and amateur artists is in their respective use of colour.</p><p>The colour schemes of most master artists are subtle, restrained, and harmonious, yet have a powerful impact on the spectator. In many cases the colour schemes of non-master artists are somewhat gaudy and discordant. Even where the realist or abstract compositions of master artists have overtly striking colour schemes, there is still a tremendous sense of unity and overall purpose to the work. In non-master paintings bold colour schemes are, more often than not, strident rather than striking.</p><p>How did (and do) the masters achieve their colour effects? Fundamentally, master artists used, and continue to use, fewer colours than most other artists. David Bomford and Ashok Roy in Colour, page 9, stated, “For centuries the artist's palette in European painting remained limited ...” On page page 63 they noted, “The study of paintings by seventeenth century artists such as Rubens, Velásquez, and Rembrandt reveals … they used a limited range of pigments ...” While this may have been due in large part to the restricted availability of pigments, for some artists a restricted palette was a deliberate choice.</p><p>Velásquez for example, used a palette that contained very few colours, even fewer than were available at the time. In the Underpaintings Forum of 13th April 2010, Matthew D. Innis wrote that, “It can be argued that by using a simplified palette, limited even when compared to the small selection of pigments available to seventeenth-century artists, that Velásquez was freed to be more ambitious in the technical execution of his paintings. His color palette, in fact, changed very little during his entire career.”</p><p>While Velásquez may be an extreme example, the basic principle holds true. Whether from choice or from necessity, using a limited palette allows more control of colour and builds a greater understanding of colour while simultaneously freeing the artist to concentrate more on technique.</p><p>The lack of a large selection of pigments was not, therefore, a handicap to the Old Masters. As Bomford and Roy noted in Colour, page 63, “... they were able, through optical means, and the sophisticated manipulation of the oil medium, to create a variety of subtle colour effects.” This is one of the great truths of art and still holds true today despite the profusion of colours available to the artist. It holds true also for painters in acrylic and, to a large extent, for watercolour artists.</p><p>In many instances, using complementary mixing colours to create a series of intermediate hues and further admixtures of such hues with white was (and is) sufficient to create the greater part, or even the entire colour scheme, of a master painting. Various mixes of blue and orange, red and green, and yellow and violet respectively, and tints thereof, have formed the basis of a great many paintings of master quality. The Colour Mixing Swatch Book by Michael Wilcox gives examples of these mixes and his book Advances in Colour Harmony and Contrast has many illustrations of master works produced using these mixes. Blue and orange is especially popular. As Wilcox noted at page 39 in a further publication, The Artist's Guide to Selecting Colours, “Without a doubt, the most popular colour arrangement spanning all ages and virtually all countries, has been blue and orange.”</p><p>Complementary colours have been known to artists for centuries. Rolf G. Kuehni, in Color: An Introduction to Practice and Principles (Second Edition) wrote, page 165, “Color contrast effects in painting were already described by Leonardo ....' The employment of complementary mixing colours was one of the cornerstones of Impressionist painting. First, some of the most vibrant paintings of Delacroix and the Impressionists are based on the simultaneous contrast effect, with direct blue-orange, red-green or yellow-violet complementary pairings.”</p><p>The use of complementary colours is frequently employed in contemporary art. Complementary colour schemes, mostly blue-orange contrast schemes, can clearly be seen in the works of Lucian Freud, possibly the greatest realist artist of modern times. Charley Parker, in the Line and Colors blog of 7th April 2012, stated that Thomas Kinkade, America’s most collected artist, made use of complementary colours.</p><p>The main mixing variations are as follows. A green-blue, a neutral blue, or a violet- blue, can be mixed with a red-orange, a neutral orange, or a yellow-orange. A violet-red, a neutral red, or an orange-red can be mixed with a yellow-green, a neutral green, or a blue-green. A green-yellow, a neutral yellow, or an orange-yellow, can be mixed with a blue-violet, a neutral violet, or a red-violet. Mixing the aforementioned colours produces a surprisingly wide range of intermediate colours. Once these intermediate colours are produced, tints can be made by adding white in various quantities. These tints are excellent colours in their own right, being at one and the same time subtle and delicate yet powerful and expressive.</p><p>It is these intermediate hues and tints, rather than the base colours, that are at the heart of complementary colour schemes and serve to make the painting a unified whole. This was noted by Johannes Itten in The Art of Color, page 79, “Many paintings based on complementary contrast exhibit not only the contrasting complementaries themselves but also their graduated mixtures as intermediates and compensating tones. Being related to the pure colors, they unite the two into one family. In fact, these mixed tones often occupy more space than the pure colors.”If mixing a range of intermediate hues and tints produces such gratifying results, why don’t more artists follow this practice? The answer is that creating the various gradations between complementary colours is not that easy.</p><p>Should the artist wish to prepare the mixes in advance, he or she needs to start off with large volumes of the base colours so as to ensure there is enough paint to produce the range of intermediate colours and tints needed for the planned painting. Alternately, if the artist attempts to produce the mixes on the palette while working on the painting, he or she may well be in for a disappointment as it is all too easy for the mixes to go wrong.</p><p>In the end, its so much simpler just to use equivalent, or near-equivalent, colours straight from the tube. Using tube colours, however, may upset the colour balance of the painting. Further, the artist may succumb to temptation and end up relying on tube colours too heavily. Overgenerous use of colours straight from the tube tends to be frowned upon by critics.</p><p>The aforementioned difficulties of colour mixing should not deter the artist from attempting to gain mastery of colour by practicing colour mixing exercises. Musicians practice scales, martial artists practice kata, and artists practice colour mixing! Knowledge of colour is fundamental to art. Attempting colour mixing exercises and using fewer colours in actual paintings will really add to the artist's arsenal of art skills.Please coment on your own experience with colour mixing and how it has informed your work's development.</p><p>Alan Friend is currently having a show of his prints at The Lovers Lights Gallery <a href="http://www.loverslightsgallery.co.uk/" rel="external">http://www.loverslightsgallery.co.uk/ </a>in London. The show runs from 11th May - 5th August 2012.</p><p>You can also find more art by Alan Friend on his website at <a href="http://www.alanfriend.com/" rel="external">http://www.alanfriend.com/</a></p>kyleleakway@me.com (Jim Cobb)1a129a7ce418d1e197bd885efa4b4decMon, 18 Jun 2012 07:29:56 +0000